wunderkind

By that I meant swapping front to back and vice versa. Is there a guideline to how often? This is to even out the wear a bit. Or maybe it's not needed at all. Just place the front to rear when the rear's worn and buy a new tire for the front?

caloso

This is what I do.

tdreyer1

Rotate tires? What's that?

/sarcasm (I don't rotate anything...)

MMACH 5

I use two different sized tires, so I don't rotate them. Here's what Sheldon Brown said about it:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

GRedner

I follow Sheldon's method. When the rear tire wears out, I move the front one to the rear and add a new one up front. That way the newer and more trusted tire is always where it matters most.

HardyWeinberg

Never rotate, don't see the point; rear tire takes it hardest, why put a weakened front tire on the rear where it will wear harder yet than it had been?

Erick L

I don't rotate. I usually go through two rear tires for each front tire.

cmburch

I do not rotate. Just replace as needed. Normally have a wider rear tire.

neil

Glad you specified. I was already starting on the math to come up with a smartass answer along the lines of "a couple hundred times per minute."

Never. I don't use the same tread front and back (though they are the same dimensions.) Rotating would mess with that. If a tire wear out, I replace it.

wunderkind

I knew that there would be a few "funny guy" on this forum waiting for such an opportunity.

So what others and Sheldon is saying is wrong then?

TwoShort

I always intend to move the front to the back and get a new front. But after I notice the rear is too worn, there is a delay until I get around to it and or find a good deal on the relevant tire, so by that time I usually feel like the front is pretty bad, and replace both.

Put the best tire on the front. Just think about a tire failing and that wheel sliding out from under you; which wheel do you want it to be?

Andy_K 

This is what I do too, but only because so far whenever I've changed tires I've wanted to try a new model and I like matching tires. Eventually, I figure I'll end up with one usable tire of every kind I've tried.

The point to Sheldon's method, of course, is to keep a good tire on the front and not throw out tires that are still usable. I suppose one could always donate the front tire to a community center when replacing both (assuming they'd want them).

canyoneagle

Daaargh. Missed my chance!

In all seriousness, I just replace as needed.

Erick L

The front tire easily outlast two rear tires so it isn't worth the hassle IMO.

Lightingguy

I just moved the front one to the back and installed..... NO WAIT, I moved the R to the front and installed a new in the R.

In any case, I tend to find that on tires that I get a lot of flats on, it's always the R, thus when it's had 3 flats I assume the amount of tread is reduced enough to make it vulnerable to flats and then replace it.

In the past 6 years or so, I've been running Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons and haven't had a flat in 2 years. Thus the front, for whatever reason, wore out first, so for no logical reason, I transferred the R to the F and put my last cheap Conti on the R, only as that's where I usually get a flat so why not have the newer tire there, Sheldons advice to the contrary. Or Not.

And I don't rotate.

Steve B.

kmcrawford111

Don't see any advantage that makes doing this worthwhile.

Luddite

Rotate??! never have...

JeffS

Never.

AsanaCycles

i rotate tyres often.
my ideal situation, is when both tyres are worn out at about the same time.

H23Nutcase

Why rotate?

I'll just use my worn out tires as spare. In fact, I hide my spares in several locations (trees/bushes, taped under mailbox, gas stations, etc) on my usual commute route to work. This saved me couple times on having huge gash on my tire. Beats walking all the way home than having a short walk to hidden spare location.




H23NC,

funbob

No rotate. Just replace as needed.

noglider 

That's funny, h23nutcase.

WCoastPeddler

That's not what he said. Again, you are twisting people's words.

Dude, you need to read more carefully. Sheldon (who is not the end all to be all, btw) states "The only time tire rotation is appropriate on a bicycle is when you are replacing the rear tire. If you feel like taking the trouble, and use the same type of tire front and rear, you should move the front tire to the rear wheel, and install the new tire in front."

He doesn't say that rotating tires is necessary, but that if you do, you should only move the front tire to the rear. From the article, it doesn't sound like Sheldon's a huge proponent of rotating tires (hence his statement "if you feel like taking the trouble").

I don't rotate my tires, nor have I ever felt the need.

deanp

Every 1000 miles.

noglider 

Right, it's not important, but there's no harm in doing it, either.